Rent Increase Consultation Results 2026

Introduction

In accordance with the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001, the Association has a duty to consult tenants on proposed rent increases and have regard to tenants’ opinions before making a decision. The purpose of this report is to inform the Board about the outcomes of the 2026 Rent Increase Consultation.

The Consultation Microsite was updated with the 2026 data and a leaflet with identical information was produced for offline tenants. Information on how to take part in the consultation was set out via the My Home mailing list or via Royal Mail for offline tenants.

Consultation Process

All residential rental tenants (1,398 at the time of mailing) were consulted, 1,220 (87%) via the My Home mail-out tool and 178 (13%) via Royal Mail. The Consultation Form went live on 2 January 2026, e-mails were sent on 3 January 2026, and letters were sent once the office reopened.

In addition to the mailing, a link to the consultation was included on the automated rent receipts sent by My Home, a second mailing with the promotional prize draw was sent on 9 January 2026, with a follow-up on 15 January 2026. Banners linking to the consultation and the prize draw were displayed on elha.com and in My Home for the duration of the consultation. Platinum Key Tenants also received additional reminders.

The proposed increase was the October RPI only, for an inflation-only increase of 4.3%. Included in the consultation was further promotion of Housing Perks, which all Bronze, Gold and Platinum Key Tenants are eligible for, and an image was present on the microsite containing a small Captain Discount sprite.

Consultation Responses

445 (31.7%) tenants responded, an increase from 30.9% in 2025.

Results

Will You Reduce Your Rent Increase by Claiming New or Additional Key Tenant Discounts?

Number of responders Percentage of total
I am already receiving Key Tenant Discounts 401 90%
I don't receive any Key Tenant Discounts but would like to apply 13 3%
I would like to upgrade to receive higher Key Tenant Discounts 24 5%
I don't want to receive Key Tenant Discounts 7 2%
Will you reduce your Rent Increase by claiming new or additional Key Tenant Discounts?

Will You Reduce the Impact of Your Rent Increase by Using Housing Perks Discounts?

Number of responders Percentage of total
I have already downloaded the Housing Perks App in order to access discount vouchers 214 48%
I plan to download the Housing Perks App to access discount vouchers 142 32%
I don't plan to download the Housing Perks App 89 20%
Will you reduce the impact of your Rent Increase by using Housing Perks discounts?

Do you agree with the proposed rent increase of inflation only?

Number of responders Percentage of total
Yes 327 73%
No 118 27%
Are you happy with the proposed rent increase of inflation plus 1.5%?

Tenant Comments

Where tenants had made additional comments and/or asked questions or requested clarification on points raised in the consultation or general tenancy issues, all were responded to in line with the timescales detailed in the Customer Service Charter. Where there was any delay in responding, an apology was sent.

Find Captain Discount Competition

In addition to taking part in the consultation, 144 tenants also took part in the Find Captain Discount Competition. Of these 83 (58%) got the location correct, and of the correct entries, three winners were drawn using the My Home survey module’s random winner generator.